1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating method, image generating apparatus, entertainment system, and recording medium, applicable to generating and displaying three-dimensional object images in real-time, with limited hardware resources such as an entertainment system such as a video game apparatus or a personal computer.
More specifically, the present invention relates to three-dimensional computer graphics processing, and relates to an image generating apparatus, image generating method, entertainment system, and recording medium, for displaying dot-sequences (groups of dots) on a two-dimensional screen, following probability distribution in a three-dimensional space.
2. Background of the Invention
In computer graphics processing, there are cases wherein a plurality of randomly-existing dots in three-dimensional space must be displayed on a two-dimensional hypothetical screen. Such multiple randomly-existing dots in three-dimensional space are used for example in cases of representing screen background clouds, waves on water, trees luxuriant with leaves, and so forth, with groups of extremely small dot groups. That is, such objects to be drawn are represented by groups of extremely small polygons, so the apex coordinates of the polygon, the center point thereof, etc., can be understood as groups of dots (dot-sequences).
Conventionally, with computer graphics, there has been the need to calculate the coordinates values for each dot of dot-sequences existing in a three-dimensional space making up such clouds, waves, leaves, etc., and then display on a two-dimensional hypothetical screen.
However, since the distance from the point of view to each of the extremely great number of points making up the object being drawn differs for each point, so the number of calculations for coordinates conversion, perspective conversion, etc., is extremely great, and this has been a load on the CPU (Central Processing Unit) of the computer and other peripheral devices.
In other words, the number of calculations for such coordinates conversion, perspective conversion, etc., is extremely great when performing real-time high-speed drawing computation of object images which sequentially change on an entertainment system such as a video game apparatus, and this has been a problem.